breaking news coming to us from singapore. in the past few minutes, it was just announced that the indian woman who was gang raped in delhi earlier this month that has caused national average has died. she was being treated at a hospital in singapore where she was on life-support. in india, her brutal attack triggered nationwide protests. the authorities struggling to contain the growing anger. we have received a statement from a doctor, the chief executive of the hospital where she was being looked after. "we are very sad to report the patient passed away peacefully at 4: 40 5:00 a.m. today singapore time. her family and officials from the high commission of india

were at her side. we join her family in mourning her loss. the patient had remained in extremely critical condition since admission to hospital from the morning of december 27. despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in the hospital to keep per staple, her condition continued to deteriorate over the past two days. she suffered from severe organ failure suffering serious injuries to her body and brain. she was the victim of a gang rape on a bus in delhi, leading to days of street protests. the government using water cannons to try to keep the situation calm on the streets. there was a distinct sense that people in the know were telling us what had to happen to avoid this kind of thing happening again was not only an examination of having the police do their jobs, but reform of how

the authorities to deal with this kind of the incident in delhi. the top line on the story, the victim of gang rape in delhi who is being treated at a hospital in singapore has now passed away. a final meeting between president obama and congressional leaders to hammer out a last-minute deal towards the so called -- to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff has finished. john boehner was at the white house today, trying to reach an agreement to avoid hundreds of billions of dollars of tax increases and spending cuts. no statement is expected anytime soon. we go live now to washington to war correspondent, ben. >> all of the participants at this meeting left without a word. i don't think we will hear from them the rest of the day. there is a great deal at stake and very little time left.

it has been reported that president obama presented a plan to increase taxes on income over a quarter million dollars per year, as part of the deficit reduction plan to deal with american debt. he would probably say to the congressional leaders that need to figure out a way to get it through, but i think the expectations in washington of a deal are low with only three, four days left until the new year and the media tax hikes and spending cuts taking and -- kicking in. >> that means perhaps heading back into recession? >> yes, there is little doubt in washington about the seriousness of the sick jubilation. the problem is withdrawing government demand from the economy too big spending programs, cuts with a smothering effect on the tax hikes will

have been very damaging effect on the was economy and by extension the world economy. people know it is serious, but the politics, we know that the house and senate republicans do not want to increase taxes on anybody, so it is very difficult to see how a package can get through congress, certainly in time for the new year. one guess is that they could that the fiscal cliff deadline lapse and then in the new year try to look at it in january to reduce taxes on those people while raising them for the rich, but that is after dropping off. >> we have learned that nancy pelosi is saying that senate leaders will try to craft a fiscal cliff deal. as ben said, they are not giving

any details, no specifics, they're not going to, but nancy pelosi said it will try to craft some sort of deal to avoid heading off the edge of the fiscal cliff. the outgoing prime minister mario monti said he will contest the general election in february. he will lead a coalition of supporting his reform agenda. his appointment last year as the head of the technocratic government sought to end the financial crisis. former prime minister silvio berlusconi is rounding out his new year with a divorce, pinning his ex-wife almost $4 million per month. he was accused of having relationships with young women. the venezuelan president hugo chavez cents a message of faith to his supporters from his hospital bed. the message said that well- wishers and supporters were helping his recovery following the cancer operation.

there is been speculation over whether his health has left him fit to lead the country. a 6-year-old british girl who was abducted by her father and to pakistan three years ago has been reunited with her mother in the u.k. in the past couple of hours she arrived at manchester airport. she was taken from her home in greater manchester on her third birthday, found with the help of the pakistani authorities and is understood to be fit and well. the police officer who met her off the airplane has been talking to the bbc. >> she has been reignited at a hotel near manchester airport with her mother. -- she has been reunited at a hotel near manchester airport with her mother. it is a good news story, and this time of the year we are happy that this has come to fruition. >> were you there?

>> >> yes, wheat discreetly to occur from the aircraft with a number of extended family. she has been reunited with her mom. clearly, she is 6 years old. she has been in pakistan the past three years, so she is disoriented. she is a bit quiet. she does not speak english at the moment, so will be a long time for her extended family to get to know each other again. but i am sure with the love of the family, it will go well. >> she was taken straight to her mother, wilkinson. this was her reaction. >> i am absolutely overwhelmed. i am just absolutely overwhelmed at the moment.

>> it has been quite some christmas. >> at has. -- it has. >> the situation was serious the past few days. >> not knowing where she was, out, seeing pictures of how she looks now, and then her coming home and now meeting her, it has been an absolute whirlwind. >> you met her on christmas day. >> yes. >> what was it like when you saw the pictures? >> i cannot explain in words what it was like to see her face, which she is actually like now. it is very emotional. >> how will she? >> she is how i expected.

she looks exactly the same as two years ago, just taller and older. >> more news on our website, bb.com/news. more on the victim of a gang rape on the indian capital of delhi has now died. she was taken to the hospital in singapore because of the extent of her injuries. that led to mass street protests up and down in india. the government taking extraordinary measures to keep the situation calm. the hospital authorities issuing this sad statement. >> in the past few minutes, they said the 23-year-old woman who is gay and raped december 16 has died. they had been warning the past few hours that she was suffering severe organ failure because of injuries she received in the

attack. they have confirmed she has died. >> the government was trying to stop this rising wave of public anger across the country with some amazing scenes. on the streets of delhi, water cannons, protesters not giving in. this news, will that fueled the anger? >> i think the anger will rise considerably. protests on the streets in delhi, people furious at this case and what they see as a kind of rot where the police are not investigating sexual assault and rape properly and that the authorities in general are taking the whole situation regarding rape and sexual assault, they're not taking it seriously. in the past few days, many indian politicians have started issuing public statements, making clear they will try to

change attitudes towards this situation, but it is not known how much can actually be done. >> we have our correspondent on the line from singapore, what are you hearing? >> we just received a statement from the hospital about 30 minutes ago saying that there are very sad to report the patient passed away peacefully at 4:45 local time, about an hour-and-a-half ago. she remained in critical condition ever since she arrived in singapore on december 27 with her family. >> and the level, the amount of injuries she had sustained, it was quite sickening. >> indeed, we knew before she arrived about her abdominal and intestinal injuries in their report she may need to receive an organ transplant. the doctorrrived c,

said she had suffered severe brain injuries as well, so her condition continued to deteriorate despite the doctors, eight specialists at the hospital trying to keep her stable. but their efforts did not materialize. >> is anyone speculating what happens now? >> not at this stage. we have literally just received this statement from the hospital, saying that her family and the officers from the high commissioner's, the high commission or by her side at the hospital when she passed away. at the moment, that is all we know. >> many thanks. it is the middle of the night in delhi, so much so that when the india wakes up to this, we may get a big reaction from this?

>> exactly, and the indian media has been leading with this story. they realize the stress on the streets. it will probably be leading with this again, not going away anytime soon. this may just make them even angrier. you are watching "bbc world news." still to come, fewer murders, less crimes, the big apple losing its reputation. >> pakistan preparing to lift a three-month block on youtube. the site had been barred since september after posting an anti- islam video causing protests and riots. the interior minister said the bloc would be done within 24 hours. australian police say that the two radio percenters --

presenters are not likely to face prosecution. a senior officer from scotland yard has not asked to interview the deejays, who impersonated the queen and prince charles. advertisements of people smoking cigarettes with a tumor being launched in the u.k. this marks a return to shock campaigning. you are watching "bbc world news." the top stories, an indian woman being treated in singapore with severe injuries sustained during a gang rape has died. president obama is meeting with congressional leaders to try to avert with -- truck to try to avert the fiscal cliff. the past year has been a record year for new york with

less murders than any time than in the past 15 years. mayor michael bloomberg said there were just over 400 homicides in 2012, 100 less than in the previous year. one man knows a lot about that subject, new york city's deputy police commissioner, paul brown, who joins us live right now. mr. brown, congratulations. how have you done it? >> thank you, mainly through 35,000 men and women in uniform, but particularly through something called operation at attack where we send as many uniformed police officers as possible into areas where we have seen spikes and violence, particularly shootings. >> that sounds almost like a back to basics campaign. why was the decision taken to go in that direction? >> well, it started with mayor bloomberg and commissioner kelly

coming into the office right after 9/11 with a deep downturn in the economy, less tax revenue. we lost 6000 police officers through attrition, we have 6000 fewer now than we had then. that forced us to take a look at how we deploy officers into the city. instead of dividing them up as we usually did into 76 precincts, we focused better on defining exactly where the most violent crimes were happening and putting the biggest number of officers there, the biggest bang for the block. new recruits coming out of the police academy, they all went there. they all went there, teams of experienced officers and teams with specialized units, heavy weapons officers and plain clothes to undercover officers, etc.

>> if we are talking 400 homicides in 2012, it is the line on the graph going down, are you anticipating 2013 been better than this year? >> we would love that to be the case. we do not want to jinx it, however. after 9/11, people said crime had no where to go but up. it went down. also, by the way, new york city has been the target of 16 terrorist plots since 9/11. none of them have succeeded, thanks to both the nypd and our federal partners. we have a lot on our plate, but i do not want to predict another record year before we get there. >> mr. brown, maybe you'll come back in the air and it will be a good news story. that i would love to, thank you. greece has become the

gateway to hundreds of thousands of migrants to enter the country, many of them muslims. athens remains the only eu capital without unofficial moscow. now there are plans to build one next year. will the bankrupt companies -- will the bankrupt country have trouble delivering? >> underground, crowded, a legal, the place of worship for muslims and athens. dozens of these poor rooms serve be a huge community. -- dozens of these prior rooms serve out a huge community. >> we respect all religions, but they did not have the respect of our muslims to provide as a regular, legal mosque for our workshop. >> the shadow of a now distant past.

no mosques have been built in athens since christian greece gained independence in 1832, the omi e.u. capital without. but could that change? this was the site chosen for the first mosque. but previous promises have come to nothing in there is a financial crisis. >> there was a fear in the greek society about the construction of a mosque. we must overcome these fears. it is the commitment of the greek state about the construction and commitment. >> there is still resistance. well over 90% of greeks are orthodox christians. while many accept the moscow plan, many are opposed, resentful of mass migration here. >> greece fought hundreds of

centuries of terrorism -- of tyranny by muslims. we totally oppose this. >> pride in their own faith is clear, but can they resist the respect of the other? this is a country where religion is intrinsic to national identity, where church and state are intimately linked. the questions for today's greece is what kind of state is willing to become, how tolerant, how multicultural. looking,ore inward more fearful, but greece must now decide whether to extend its hand to it is long, whether its capital should no longer stand alone in europe. sports news, nadal said he will not play next month and the australian open because of

illness. he is still struggling with a stomach virus. the illness has disrupted his recovery from a knee injury. he confirmed today that he will miss both the australian open and the warm-up event in doha. a wave of films catering to older audiences. one of the most successful stars british actors in their sixties and seventies. they have been doing well worldwide, particularly in the u.k. and the u.s. from the york, we have this report. >> a trend, old people in the movies. next month, a movie set at a retirement home story musicians and several british actors. tommy lee jones succeeded this year in "i hope springs" been called a midlife romantic

comedy. and then there was the marigold hotel, the story of a british retiree at a hotel in india that has been very profitable, costing $10 million to make, taking in $140 million around the world. the film cast is unusual because of many of its older characters. >> they are taking charge. >> the new wave of films is being welcomed. and everything is geared towards the youth, and to see people my age makes me feel good on film, like we are not forgotten. >> liam neeson is flourishing as an action star at the age of 60, maintaining that older people have been underserved by hollywood. >> they're making movies for 15-

year-old up to 25-year-olds. >> studios maintain that older people figure into their calculations. >> older audiences are avid moviegoers, they grew up with the habit, and they like to go to theaters, so they are an important part. >> the supply of movies catering to older people will continue, partly because the moviegoing audience appears to be getting older. last year in the u.s., the number of teenagers going to the cinema declined, while admissions among older people increased. the statistics may reflect the 78-strong baby boom generation have been more time to go to the movies more often. and films resonating with older audiences are winning awards.

this film took home the top prize at the cannes film festival, and just last week admitted on to the preliminary short list for best foreign that movie oscar. >> more news on the website, bbc.com/news. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide

capital to achieve your strategic intentions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

- (yawning): hi, neighbor. today i'm going to get ready for school. and tonight we can pretend to be superheroes before bed! i'm excited to be with you all day. and i'll be right back. is made possible in part by... the richard king mellon foundation. dedicated for over sixty years to south western pennsylvania's quality of life, and competitive future. and by these pittsburg foundations. working together to enhance and enrich the lives of children for more than seventy-five years. and by the arthur vining davis foundations. dedicated to strengthening america's future through education. adcasting, dedicated to strengthening america's future and contributions to your pbs station, from viewers like you.

the neighborhood ♪ and contributions to your pbs station, ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbor ♪ ♪ would you be mine? ♪ could you be mine? ♪ won't you be my neighbor? - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ a land of make-believe ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ so much to do, so much to see ♪ ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ i've got lots of friends for you to meet ♪ ♪ in this land of make-believe ♪ a friendly face on every street ♪ ♪ just waiting to greet you ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbor ♪ ♪ in daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ - hi, neighbor. it's me, tigey. daniel's being a sleepyhead this morning.

you want to go wake him up? let's go. (daniel snoring softly) ready? let's say, "wake up, daniel tiger." wake up, daniel tiger. (daniel yawns.) - good morning, tigey. hi, dad. - good morning. (daniel yawns.) - oh, hi, neighbor. - what a beautiful day in the neighborhood. - wow! ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day to say good morning to you ♪ ♪ good morning! - ♪ good morning - ♪ good morning - ♪ good morning to you! - good morning. muah! - good morning to you. i think i have to go potty. - definitely need to go in the morning when you wake up.